“I travelled with Rio in train for the first time in 2020 as there weren’t other options available. Surprisingly, it wasn’t difficult,” said 27-year-old pet parent Saurabh Singh, who since then travels by train with his five-year-old Golden Retriever, Goa being their most recent destination. Saurabh isn’t alone. According to an Indian Railways report, over 7000 pets travelled from Pune railway station to other parts of the country between January 2023 and February 2024. Train is increasingly becoming a chosen mode of transportation for pet parents to travel with their pets across the country.
Pet travel queries see a surgeSimran Singh and Rajit Gupta, pet travel influencers, who run @triplesundae on Instagram, garnered over 13.5 million views in their first reel on travelling with their pet Poppins by train. “These reels flood our DMS with questions every time. We receive DMS regularly on pet travel by train, questions related to the uncertainty involved in the process etc. Thus, we also did a reel with a Hindi VO and text so it reaches a wider audience.”
Simran Singh and Rajit Gupta who run Instagram page @triplesundae with their pet Poppins in train (Image: @triplesundae)
STATS:1.8 billionvalue of the global Pet Travel Services Market in 2023(Source: Global Market Insights)If your pet is travelling in the train’s luggage-cum-brake-van*Check with the train manager for a pet box
*Reach the parcel office three hours prior
*Remember, only one pet can travel on one PNR at a time
Poppins during his train journey (Image: @triplesundae)
Travel charges*Standard charge - 30kgs for dogs, minimum charge Rs 10/kg (in the luggage-cum-brake-van)
*Standard charge - 60kgs for dogs, minimum charge Rs 10/kg (in First Class coupe/cabin)
Influencer Divya Dugar usually travels with her family and pets by train in India. (Image: @chaosinacoupe)
Lt Colonel Barsha Rai Dikshit with her pets while travelling by Indian railways. (Image: @lt_colonel_barsha_rai )
Why is train ticking the checklist?*Compared to airfare or pet relocation services, trains offer better prices
*No stress of driving long distances
*More comfortable for pets
*Convenient, as India's railway network connects major cities, remote locations
A pet cat travelling by train (Image: iStock)
Beyond travelFrom pet-friendly stays to pet-friendly offices, pet parents want facilities to be bettered for a more wholesome experience. “To be able to book trains and flights in advance would mean less anxiety that comes with travelling with pets. We won’t have to wait for confirmation till the end,” said Sruthi Rajan Srinivasan, 28, pet parent. While 31-year-old Sakshi Agarwal mentioned, “It becomes difficult to leave pets behind and go to work. I wish offices allowed pets, few days a week. That way pets get to socialise.”
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